Darren Cesca - Exclusive OnlineDrummer.com Interview
By Frank Bender - August 5th, 2009
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A hybrid of precision and power, that´s Darren Cesca. He´s one of the most famous session drummers in extreme metal having played with Arsis, Pillory, Goratory and Burn In Silence and he seems to be totally restless. Let´s try to find out if he has ants in his pants.
What conditions must a band offer you to recruit you as a full member?Darren: Well at this point I’m really looking for that ideal situation. I’ve been with several different bands on a full time basis but if I do go out again on the road it’ll have to be a choice made based mainly on career goals. The situation has to fulfill my needs musically as well as financially. Right now I’m focusing a lot on independent studio session work and I love it. I get the chance to work with many different artists on a short term basis. It’s challenging and fulfilling.
If I joined a band full time they would have to be well established with many aspects already in place. I need to be able to have a drum tech with me and know the band is professional, serious and looking to move their career forward. I’ll want to know they have the right people in place both in the band and around the band.
Musically, it doesn’t necessarily have to be extreme. I love playing technical metal and always will but if something more hard rock or rock oriented came along I’d love to do it if I knew that I could make a long fulfilling career out of it.
In the end, I’m a musician and I just want to be in a full time situation that I can sustain successfully for many years to come.
Did you ever want to settle down musically?Darren: I play all different styles of music. I’ve probably studied every type of drumming that you can think of. I play extreme music because I enjoy it. It’s very challenging and fulfilling for me. So i think no matter what my future holds musically I will always want to play extreme music to some capacity.
Sure it’d be nice to one day get paid to not have to work so hard. But I always wonder whether or not that would bore me. I think I’ll be writing and composing heavy styles of music for as long as I can.
Do you write music?Darren: I’ve been composing music for a very long time. I think after being a drummer I would say I’m a composer. I play guitar and some piano and even tried out violin when I was in college. It seemed like in college I learned about so many aspects of music and not just drumming.
Whatever band I’m in I always play a big part in the writing process. I prefer usually just writing with one other person. I find anymore than that and it can become very difficult. Having a whole group of musicians in the room trying put ideas together isn’t the best idea.
I’ve also produced a couple bands and helped them with writing as well. I think I’ll always be writing music until the day I die. It’s a passion of mine just like drumming is.
You are playing drum set, guitar and bass and you are able to sing; how about a Darren Cesca Project where you do everything on your own?Darren: I’ve actually put together several solo EP’s. I’m constantly working on my own solo projects but right now I just haven’t had the time to put together a full record in a reasonable amount of time.
I really love working on vocals as well. In Arsis and in Burn in Silence I used to do backup vocals live with a headset microphone. I did all the lower pitched back up vocals on the last Arsis record in the studio and have done a few guest spots on other band’s records as well. I really enjoy the challenge of performing vocals and seeing exactly what I can do with my voice.
Someday I would love to officially release a full album of my solo material. I think people would really enjoy it and be quite surprised.
Have you also gained experience as a producer or engineer?Darren: Producing and engineering is another passion of mine. I’ve done a few producing jobs and would like to get into it more so in the future. I enjoy working along with different bands and trying to put together the best songs and best performances they can create. It’s a very fulfilling experience for me.
Engineering is something I do almost everyday. I’m always tracking or mixing something. I just finished up some new drum video’s which I’m sure will be around the internet very soon. I had to mic and mix the entire kit along with guitars from bands that I’m working with.
That’s fairly simple but many of the projects I mix are quite extensive and require a lot of time. I just wish to continue to work on my engineering skills and improve my ears.
What musical style does the band of your dreams play?Darren: I don’t know if there’d be one ideal style. I just really enjoying playing technical, dynamic music. There have been a few bands I’ve played with that I would consider to be ideal musically for what I excel in.
Are there any bands or projects you are playing with at the moment?Darren: Right now I’m working with the band Eschaton. They’re an extreme, technical death metal band. It’s been a challenge writing interesting, yet brutal drum parts for their material. I’m working on their EP with them and we should be done. I think the band could definitely have a future in their genre of music. It’s been a pleasure working on their music so far and I really look forward to tracking the final drum performances.
Do you prefer recording or playing live?Darren: I really do enjoy both. I think when it comes to recording I like every aspect of it. Everything from setting up my drums and placing the mics to actually tracking is all enjoyable. Recording does take a lot of work and preparation but I love the feeling of accomplishment when it’s all over. Also once a CD is recorded you know that you’ll have that performance forever. One of my goals is to create as large a discography as possible. I’d like to work with as many artists and be a part of many recordings.
Playing live is a whole other experience. Getting set up on stage is a big pain and there are often technical difficulties with the soundmen and often things are just rushed. You’re rushed onstage and rushed off stage many times before things are even ready.
But once the show starts the energy can be just amazing. I love to feed off the band and the sound from the crowd. I think my live tempos are even faster than the CD’s! I love meeting the fans after the shows and seeing how much they enjoyed the performance. That really keeps me going and helps me along to the next show.
I guess overall I would say I enjoy creating a new recording more. But playing live can be an experience like no other.
Do you love soloing?Darren: I was actually never a huge fan of soloing. I enjoy composing. All my drum parts are written out note for note and I learn them off of sheet music. I don’t think of them as solos but I do try and write very interesting parts. When I’m given complete freedom in writing my parts I always try to stay away from anything that would be considered standard or typical. When you see the couple new drum video’s I just filmed you’ll know exactly what I mean.
The only times I’ve really done solos are on headlining tours. It’s really just something for the crowd to enjoy. Sure I enjoy them but really I love composing great drum parts for a song and performing them with total perfection.
Are your solos totally improvised or are they written out?Darren: When I’m doing solos on tour I always have a form for them. Everything isn’t totally planned out but I have an order for what I’m going through. I practice it quite a bit before performing it but each time I solo it’s always a little bit different depending on the night. Sometimes I’ll stick with one idea longer than another and the next night that might change. So there is some improvisation involved.
What was the most difficult groove you ever played?Darren: I’m not sure what the most difficult groove I’ve ever played is but one does come to mind. I was working recently on the song Exordia by the band Eschaton. I’m currently learning the drums for their EP which I will be recording soon. I wrote all the drum music myself but I'm never quite sure how difficult it will be until I bring it to the drum set.
I was working through this track, Exordia and it was apparent that the last 30 seconds was very complicated. It took me 4 days of practices just to be able to put all of it together. Now I have it learned as muscle memory but getting to that point was a definite headache. I just had to work through it a little at a time. That’s why I had to split it up into 4 days. I didn’t want to overload my brain.
You play relatively few drums but many cymbals; is there a special reason for this fact?Darren: Well I don’t think I really play a few number of drums. My drum set has 11 drums which I think is pretty large. It consists of 4 snares, 4 toms and 2 kick drums. But yes, I do have a ton of cymbals. 18 to be exact.
I like to have a lot of orchestration options when composing drum parts. Each cymbal is it’s own tone and pitch and I would hate to hit the same crash over and over or the same china cymbal. I think having all these different tones and colors to pick from I can really compliment what the rest of the band is doing. It’s very challanging and takes some extra time but in the end is very satisfying.
What brands would you like to endorse?Darren: Currently I endorse Db Drum shoes and shortly I’ll be officially endorsing Shine Drums. Both of these companies have really been great to work with. I’ve had the chance to work with really large more corporate companies but I chose otherwise.
I feel that for what I do a larger company would not give me the credit or attention I’m looking for. So I’d prefer to work with a smaller company that is really excited with the work I do and how we both can work together in the future. I want to help them move forward as they hopefully can help me do the same.
As far as future brands go, I want to work with whoever wants to work with me. I want a company that works as hard as I do. I don’t just want to be on an endorsement list to get my 10% off.
Please tell us about your musical socialization.Darren: I assume you’re referring to other musicians that I’ve met and socialized with. Traveling all around the US and even to different parts of the world you meet all kinds of people with different cultures. But it’s very interesting to see how no matter where someone is from you can often find common interests through music.
There are a number of good friends that I keep in touch with from many different bands. I think on tour you can build a pretty strong bond with people and It’s fun to keep in touch and see what they’ve been up to.
Certainly being on the road is like one big social party. You met new people everyday and learn something from them. I definitely think having good social skills help you survive on the road.
Was it hard for you being accepted at Berklee as a heavy metal drummer?Darren: This was very hard for me. Going into Berklee you learn quite quickly that playing hard rock and metal isn’t as well respected as playing jazz or a latin style of drumming. I wasn’t into death metal as much when i first started studying at Berklee but not getting respect for my playing pushed me towards more extreme music.
I didn’t want to focus on jazz, or latin type music, I wanted to focus on heavy, extreme music. So I decided to bring up my studies to a new level and started following death metal drumming and its drummers. I lived and breathed it until I knew my skills were at a high level.
Eventually people around Berklee started to take notice and I became known as Death Metal Darren. As I went further along in my education I was able to work extreme styles of music into my classes and lessons. This just motivated me more and more.
For my final graded performance at Berklee I did a 1.5 hour concert that was all extreme music. It’s something Berklee has never had before. In the end though I scored very high on my grades and it felt good being respected for the music that I chose to study.
You took drum lessons with Mike Mangini - what things did you learn from him?Darren: Mike Mangini really helped change the way that I approached drumming. The thing is he really had no idea what Death metal or Black metal was. He had no exposure to it. But I did see that he had so many skills that could be applied to it. So I introduced him to the kind of music I like and we found ways of working some of his techniques into that I did.
Mangini really understood speed and control. Those are both things essential to what I do. Not only did he understand it, but he practically had it down to a science. That’s what's needed. I needed to learn from someone that knew exactly how to achieve this control and movement at very fast tempos.
After working with him for a couple years I was able to apply much of what he taught me to my own drumming philosophy. I don’t think I’d be the same drummer if I hadn’t met him.
Are you able to play one handed rolls with both hands?Darren: Well working on the concept of ambidextrous drumming keeps me in the mind set that if I can do something with with one hand I should be able to do it with the other. So yes, I can do rolls with both hands.
I still feel my right hand is stronger when performing rolls so when it comes to recordings I usually use right handed rolls. As I continue to progress and feel more comfortable with it I fully expect to use one handed rolls on either hand no matter what the situation. I never want to feel limited by either side of my body.
What are the advantages of an ambidextous drumming concept?Darren: I think there are two main advantages that come to mind. First, I want to attempt to erase the thought of changing or not being able to play a particular drum part because of physical limitations. If I can think of it, I want to be able to play it and not have to worry all the time about which hand is going to lead.
The second advantage is simple, it’s to limit the amount of movement I need to use when moving around my kit. Having to cross my right hand over towards the left side of my kit to play the hit hat or hit a crash just seems so inefficient. Playing open handed really keeps your hands close to where they need to be at all times. This leads too more speed and less wasted energy.
You seem to play open handed in most situations - is that right?Darren: Yes, I always play open handed. It’s almost awkward for me to think of playing any other way now. Playing open handed is just so much more efficient and practical for what I do. Also having such a large kit it really helps when reaching for so many different spots.
Do you like playing technical grooves with lots of linear drumming, ostinatos and odd times?Darren: I’m always looking to push the level of creativity in my drumming. Also a lot of the bands that I work with write complex compositions so I try and compliment that with my drum parts. Because of this often odd times and linear drumming is included in what I play. As far as Ostinados, they’re really only something I use for solo pieces. I’ve never really found them to fit in very well into the songs I’ve worked on.
What drumming skills would you like to be known for?Darren: I think of myself as someone that steers clear of typical drumming. No matter what band I work with I put forth just as much effort for each band to compose unique drum parts for their music. So I hope in the end that my drumming has it’s own sound and really represents the band well. I’ll never just taken the easy way out and written boring drum parts.
I’d also like to be known as hard working and reliable when it comes to making albums. I’ve recorded in the studio many times and feel that I’ve become very efficient at it. So I hope I can continue to work with more bands in the future and continue to improve with my studio performances.
Would you accept a possible offer from Berklee to teach extreme metal drumming?Darren: I’ve thought about it and I hope maybe someday I can go back to Berklee and create a full set of classes just for extreme speed and endurance drumming. I’m not sure if there’d be enough interest but I would love to be the first one to teach those courses.
Are there any plans to produce your own drumming DVD?Darren: This definitely has been discussed for sure. I would love to do one. I think I’d like to release a book around the same time to go along with it. I think right now the only thing stopping me is time and money. I wouldn’t want to release a low quality DVD so I’d need to make sure we had a sufficient budget to do it right. I’ve seen some extreme metal drumming DVD’s that aren’t so great.
Hopefully one day through an endorsement company we can make this happen. Keep your fingers crossed.
What projects are planned for the next twelve months?Darren: Right now I’m focused on finishing up the Eschaton EP. After that I have a couple other bands lined up to work with. I’ll continue to compose my own material and grow as a musician. Also the new drum video’s that I filmed should be up online in a month or so. Finally I’m working with a drum company right now and hope there will an announcement soon. I expect big things in the future from working with them. I’d like to start doing some clinics and drum festivals down the road as well.
Other than that, I’m always looking for other bands or artists to work with. I’d really like to get some more mixing and producing work. I also hope to find some less extreme bands to work with to add to my resume.
My goal is really to stay busy. Whether it’s teaching, performing, writing or producing I just want to stay involved with music. No matter where life leads me I’ll always be a drummer at heart.
